A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi O)

Segment A

1-12. City worthy of the divine powers, according to its name: shrine Urim, raging storm of Sumer, battleground -- and well established! Origin of human seed, consolidating the foundations of the Land, abundance -- and well established! Lofty dais of An, pure place, holy place, provider of first-fruit offerings for An to refresh himself, dripping with syrup and wine -- and well established! Du-ur, celebrated place of Enlil, in whose interior are the assigned divine powers, place whose destiny was decreed by Father Enlil, great dais -- and well established! Eridug, shrine expert in decreeing the fates, with princely divine powers, pure divine powers -- and well established! E-kiš-nu-ĝal, cattle-pen of Suen, where fecund cows, breed-bulls and holy calves gambol together, producing fine cream -- and well established! Abzu, holy residence of youthful Suen, tall crook lifting its head towards heaven, a marvel -- and well established!

13-24.Ĝipar, shrine built in exuberance, with the true divine powers of the rank of en priestess -- and well established! Princely (?) en priestess, your great name is pure; loosener of the headdress of Nanna who makes the dwelling pleasant, with good words and justice -- and well established! Id-nun-kug (Holy princely river) with ample flowing waters, your reservoir abounds with fish and birds -- and well established! Its city, established within the encircling walls, is a battle-mace, a weapon -- and well established! The convened assembly of its numerous people is a shield -- and well established! Great awe of the occupied settlements of Sumer -- and well established! Its foreign lands, teeming like herds of fecund cows, fat cows, numerous ewes with their lambs in the sheepfold -- and well established! Its army, rising to battle, is an irresistible onrush of water, a fearsome sea, a raging …… -- and well established!

25-37. Its prince, the hero of Enlil, a lion rising up in its strength, a furious lion (?) baring its teeth at the foreign lands, …… inspects great wild bulls, eating ……, extending ……. Shepherd Šulgi, son of Ninsumun, ornament of ……, …… in their evil words, brought the hero Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba into ……. He produced an utterance for him …… from the foreign lands, …… of his palace. …… of the foreign lands. …… he looked at him as if on split reeds.

38-48. On the day when the destiny of the Land was determined, when the seed of all living beings was originally brought forth, when the king appeared radiantly to his comrade -- on that day, Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba, conversed with Šulgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, at his shining feet. So that their praise would be sung forever, so that it be would handed down to distant days, so that it should be not forgotten in remote years, they looked (?) at each other favourably in their mighty heroism.

49-52.Šulgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, Lord Gilgameš, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

53-60. "Mighty in battle, destroyer of cities, smiting them in combat! Siege-weapon skilled with the slingstone against the holy wall! You brought forth your weapons against the house of Kiš. You captured dead its seven heroes. You trampled underfoot the head of the king of Kiš, En-me-barage-si ……. You brought the kingship from Kiš to Unug."

61-84. Thus he eulogised him who was born …… in Kulaba. 1 line unclearGilgameš, lord of Kulaba, seed of lordship, righteous hero …… 5 lines fragmentary or unclearapprox. 4 lines missing (Gilgameš continues speaking:) "Like ……, falsely (?) ……, you trampled underfoot ……, …… as if in a mighty clamp. You gathered its …… like swallows rising into the air. You entered with them into the presence of Enlil in the shrine of Nibru. Even those …… who escaped from the ……, wail bitterly ……. …… a copper (?) statue fashioned (?) in Urim, …… the seven gods, stationed beside, wielding battle-axes. Fearsome (?) hero ……, king of Sumer, you stand firm in your strength (?)."

85-88.Šulgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, Lord Gilgameš, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

89-106. "1 line fragmentary In the judgments that you pronounce ……. Who else like you has gone directly on the road to the mountains and has travelled the way to ……? Valiant one, …… the mountain cedars, …… the tall forests, …… the boats. …… Huwawa. …… his seven terrors. …… the small ……. …… from his well-established dwelling. …… to Enlil, in the shrine of Nibru ……. …… your captured hero. You allowed the mother of the sick man to fetch her son to her embrace. Your battle-mace, its mouth gaping wide, attacks the foreign lands for you. Gilgameš, noble one of Unug, violent storm, at whose oppression ……. The inimical rebel land, like ……. You have revealed your immense majesty! May you extend your protective arms over me!"